


500 Words You Should Know - #82 Congenial

by MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 17:10:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5635075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in season three before Hugh disappears to find himself fishing. Couldn't let go of the idea that Jack would let Hugh stay at his place after the car incident. And, that they would be a bit like the odd couple trying to room together. I see Jack as being more big brother to Hugh than father figure so he would want to give him a few pointers while he had his attention. This could be fun to revisit but for right now, it is a one-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	500 Words You Should Know - #82 Congenial

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/gifts).



> congenial  
> adjective  
> 1\. agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character:  
> congenial surroundings.  
> 2\. suited or adapted in spirit, feeling, temper, etc.; compatible:  
> a congenial couple.

“Sir, I can’t thank you enough for this. I promise to keep out of your way as much as possible.”

“Think nothing of it Collins. Although, I suppose in the house it would be okay to call me Jack.”

“Uh, Jack, sir? I, uh...um.” 

“Well, it is my name Hugh and you being in my home is well beyond the bounds of City South.” 

Chuckles nervously, “you can say that again sir, er Inspector, I mean, Jack.

“Right then, afraid the room isn’t much to look at, not too many visitors beyond my nephews these days and their aesthetic is fairly simple at ages 5 and 7. But, it is warm and comfortable and I dare say more hospitable than the cells.”

“Yyyes sir, Inspector! Jack! No, it’s quite congenial, thank you. And definitely smells better.” Hugh adds with a sheepish smile. “Look, your nephews have the same car set as I do. My nephew, that is. YES, the same set as my nephew.”

Jack turned his head pretending to adjust a photo on the wall to keep his young constable from seeing the smile on his face. No point in laughing at him, he was fragile enough as it is.

“Go ahead and get settled Hugh and then I can give you the full tour.”  
_________________

“Wow, sir, Jack you have a lot of books in here.”

He picks up a volume to read the spine nonchalantly and then starts to put it back on the shelf haphazardly in a different location.

“Ah yes Hugh,” Jack plucks the book back and with precision puts it back to rights. “I try and read a bit every evening. And while I know you are off duty, please try and use your constabulary sense of order by placing anything you take out in the spot it came from.”

“Certainly!” he offers a little too enthusiastically. He closes his eyes and steadies himself before asking “Are they placed alphabetically sir?”

“Alphabetically by subject, to be exact.” Jack offers up proudly. “My aunt was a librarian and taught me that it was the most efficient way of locating what you wanted swiftly and assuredly.” 

“Wouldn’t just alphabetically do that as well?”

“Why pour through countless titles on gardening if what you want is a novel?”

Jack had been facing the bookshelf and missed Hugh’s petulant eye roll at Jack’s rote explanation.

“Hadn’t thought of it that way. Very, er interesting.” 

Jack chose to ignore the tone he heard in Hugh’s voice. _**This is only temporary Jack, no need to get concerned.**_ Instead, he decided to distract them both with the business of dinner.

“So Hugh, have you learned to cook for yourself?”

Hugh laughed incredulously, “Why would I? My Mother takes care of the cooking now, my sister when Mother’s unwell and when I marry Dottie….”

He stopped up short when he felt Jack’s piercing stare.

“Hugh Collins, I suspect you may not think that the advice of a divorcé is worth taking when it comes to matters of the heart but I can assure you, that every woman loves having a meal cooked for them by a lover. It so happens that Rosie loved my lamb stew and Concetta is, or was rather, fond of my fish and chips….” Jack pulled up short, realizing what he had just said.

Hugh flushed at the word ‘lover’ and the implied intimacy. He was shocked to think of how Concetta came to be a fan of Jack’s cooking and realized the Inspector was as red as he felt. And he also couldn’t help wondering what Jack would be making for Miss Fisher.

Jack cleared his throat. “Anyway Hugh,” Jack said, trying to regain his composure, “the point is, aside from taking the initiative to surprise your wife now and again, there will come a time when, at the very least, Miss Williams will be under the weather and it might fall to you to care for her and your brood.” _**Heaven help them all.**_

The picture of he and Dottie and a house full of children made him smile. He certainly wanted to make sure his Dottie was happy but what Jack was saying confused him. Where was Dottie’s mother if she was sick? Surely, she would come help care for her. He wouldn’t be left alone to care for her, much less she and their children, would he? _**Would he?!?!**_

“So today Hugh, you will learn to make a supper that has saved many a desperate father and humble bachelor alike, shepherd’s pie.” Jack unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves and nodded at Hugh to do the same.

“Alright then Hugh, the great thing about a shepherd’s pie is that you can often make it with things left over from the night before. As it so happens, my housekeeper made me a lovely roast and potatoes yesterday so we’ll use the rest of the roast and mash the potatoes to top it. Success lies in proper planning Hugh. Set out everything you need before hand and you can’t go wrong!”

Jack’s enthusiasm did not immediately spread to Hugh but as the process went along he warmed up to his tasks. He even found he rather liked chopping vegetables. Jack was pleased that Hugh was warming to the idea of cooking but a bit horrified at the mess he was making in the process. _**One step at a time Jack, Rome wasn’t built in a day.**_

After their accidental slide into more intimate subject matter they chose to keep their supper conversation to safer topics, such as football and fishing. They managed to get a reasonably good looking pie into the oven and onto Jack’s kitchen table.

They enjoyed a companionable meal and afterward Jack was thrilled Hugh offered to wash while Jack dried and put away. _**There’s hope for the lad yet!**_  
________________

Hugh was not much for either sitting by a fire and reading nor playing draughts, so he went to his new room and dressed down to go for a run instead. He hoped Jack was not too disappointed, after all, he was being very kind to let him stay there. “Back in an hour, maybe just over” he called out before heading out the door.

“Excellent plan Collins, the front door key will be under the welcome mat in case I am not up when you get back.” Hugh shook his head, things must be worse than he thought if Jack was thinking of retiring for the night so early. 

Not five minutes after Hugh left, Jack’s front door seemingly unlocked itself and Jack went to the foyer to great one Phryne Fisher, lock pick. 

“You could have rung the bell Miss Fisher.”  
“I was aiming for a clandestine entrance.”  
“I doubt he saw a thing, he didn’t even notice your lipstick was out in the bathroom before I tucked it away.”  
“How long do we have?”  
“At least an hour.”  
“Damn, tomorrow night we are back at my place. I need to wake up to one of our divine omelettes.”  
“I think that can be arranged Phryne. However, right now we have more _pressing_ matters.”


End file.
